UAE slams new EU verdict on human rights

Is it mentioned anywhere that working in the UAE or buying properties in the UAE entitles an expat to become a UAE citizen? This citizenship issue is not only utterly preposterous but hilarious as well.

The only way to remedy the worsening demographic imbalance is by putting a ceiling on the influx of Asian workforce and restricting foreign ownership of property. Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim so eloquently expressed the worries of every UAE local when he said that the only way to maintain a demographic balance is by implementing a quota system that would ensure that the number of other nationalities should never be more than UAE nationals and Arabs because the UAE cannot perpetually depend on white collar Asians.

Human Rights! Although the idea behind it is noble, but more often than not its just an annoying card used in poliTRICKS.

The US and the Europeans are overly critical of other nations, but seldom look themselves in the mirror.

I'm reminded of the Chinese report on the US own human rights violations which was spot on.

The report cited the arrests of protesters participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States. Many protesters, it said, accused police of brutality.

It also said the United States has "fairly strict restrictions" on the Internet, saying the U.S. Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act both have clauses about monitoring the Internet, giving the government or law enforcement organizations power to monitor and block any Internet content "harmful to national security."

America has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Either Americans are excessively prone to crime, or they have a human rights problem.

Pot calling the kettle black...

Chuck
Saturday, 3 November 2012 1:31 PM
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UAE

Everyone loves to hate the states. This is what the Middle East does in any conversation even if America isnt involved...start shifting world blame, spontaneously, over to the U.S.
The fact that "Occupy Wall Street" even happened was testament to the rights of the people to gather in large numbers to protest. Some protestors get out of hand (as many people do when gathered in large numbers - put any cameraman in Kabul and you will see) so they need the police to keep the peace. It's not always clean and pretty. In terms of internet and security. This security has probably helped keep large planes from entering office corridors in tall building. If you have nothing to hide, you shouldnt worry about your privacy. I get my searches blocked all the time here in the UAE. I wanted to check the score on an American Football match and the site was blocked....you can try and find any scrap of reasoning to deflect the problem overseas but its time for the people here to own it and fix it

Doug
Friday, 2 November 2012 1:24 PM
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UAE

What has the United States got to do with a report from the European Union?

Hi,
I come to work in UAE and I'm very surprised with this country, so far. I think that if we come to work and respect local culture and traditions there will be no problem.
In Europe we also have issues with human rights. Some migrant workers, inside EU countries, also are affected by this human rights abuses from some bad employers (retaining passports, bad accomodation, and so on). But the authorities are very effective when this conditions become public.
About the UAE citizenship i think the locals are right to protect their identity. Peace for everyone.

Indians and pakistanis are the ones who made UAE where it is today ...Give them the citizenship who have lived here for more then 20 years !!

Learn to give who have contributed so much in making UAE where it is today !!!

Armaan
Thursday, 28 February 2013 3:18 PM
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UAE

My dad who came to UAE 35 years before still says that when he first came to UAE, there were only expats from India and Pakistan and none else. They are the ones who made UAE in this shape what it is today. And still we are not allowed to stay here forever and has to leave the country one day.

James
Friday, 2 November 2012 4:45 PM
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dubai

Fares

The people who are locals are Baloch and Irani farshi speaking ...Those are not the originals emarati themselves !

In the simple words A citizenship should be given to every national no matter of there race , colour , background !

Fares
Thursday, 1 November 2012 9:06 PM
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UAE

Irrespective of the number of years Indians and Pakistanis spend in the UAE, nobody promised them citizenship in any form or type. The fact is that several nationalities played and still play a role in building this country and no single nationality can take sole credit for it. Wake up and make plans instead of living in a fool's paradise.

like a few readers said, discussion about citizenship is just a decoy.
The article is about human rights, not only for the labour but also for investors and suppliers who have billions withheld with no explanation or possibility to take semi government companies to court. The latest spat with Nakheel or DPG are facts reported by the press. EU said things in a soft way because they like UAE. UAE has all the laws in place but the flexible and variable application depending on who you are and where you come from is an issue. Transparency in business and honoring contracts is another big issue. So EU report is based on many things except citizenship.

What's this got to do with citizenship? There is nothing in this report calling for citizenship for migrant workers; it merely raises the point that conditions for migrant workers are somewhat dubious - something we all know from all the stories about employers witholding passports or not paying their staff or bundling them all in labour camps. I don't think the report is calling for these people to be made citizens; it's calling for them to be treated as people.

The report also raises a question about a supposed group of 62 detainees - it's unclear who these detainees are in terms of nationality, so this could also equally apply to the UAE's record on rights for its own citizens.

While I'm sure this report is unwelcome, it does mean the UAE has an excellent opportunity to clearly refute the allegations. Given that HE Dr Gargash has clearly stated this report lacks evidence for these allegations, I am sure the UAE will be submitting proof that the report is incorrect.

Doug
Wednesday, 31 October 2012 3:13 PM
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UAE

Ziad, no-one is saying employers should house their employees in 5-star accommodation - what a ridiculous assertion. Saying you shouldn't stuff 20 people into a room with one open toilet and then take their passports off them is not the same as saying they should all be put in the Burj Al-Arab.

I also think you're being incredibly naive when you say "if they weren't happy, they'd leave". This was my point in the first place. Employers can and do confiscate passports from their workers, thus preventing them from leaving. Most of these people also aren't paid enough to be able to afford to travel home. So even if they do want to leave, they can't. They're trapped. And THAT'S the crux of the report criticising the UAE on human rights.

In the half decade I've lived here...I have no problem with any of this. I live a pretty peaceful life. Make decent money. All is good.
Other than the fact that, on a citizen to citizen basis (various cultures), there is very little humility and courtesy (doors slammed in your face instead of being held open out of kindness, roads here are the wild west with no indicators used and many people risking others lives by sliding across lanes and grinding up the back of other motorists and skipping queues,annoying sense of entitlement and whinging with some other western nationals etc)....other than that, I dont need UAE citizenship. I am happy providing a service to my company and clients and in return drawing revenue and saving/investing it and heading back to Canada in a few years where my family have lived since the early 1800s and I can claim home again in a vast, beautiful, green, clean and underpopulated paradise - I happen to enjoy snow once in awhile & I have my own citizenship

PKK
Friday, 2 November 2012 2:50 PM
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Germany

As a Western educated manager, I came to work here at a high tax free salary for a few years. I am doing that job since others that live here simply are not able to the job properly. What is interesting to see that in the years I lived here and I do not see an improvement in skills available locally. UAE remains a developing country. This is eventually not my problem. Let them slam the door in front of you or show their skills on the road, this is part of local 'culture'. At the end of my current contract, I can decide to stay, move on to another country or move back to my home country .

Kohinoor
Wednesday, 31 October 2012 4:28 PM
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Dubai

Citizenships are up for sale in those countries like pettyshop. But, the social ethics comes from the root and that exposes our wave length.

It never ceases to amaze me that 90% of drivers don't stop at a pedestrian crossing, even for my wife who is pregnant and wheeling a small child in a push chair. Lack of manners is just endemic here.

Ziad: it should be noted that the risk of death or serious injury in the UAE is many times higher than Canada - almost exclusively due to the poor driving standards. And as for moral deficiency, driving down the motorway with your kids bouncing around the car while none of you wear seatbelts would be regarded as child abuse in most countries.

Canuck
Wednesday, 31 October 2012 11:08 AM
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UAE

@Ziad
I'm not talking about crime. How does someone getting pregnant or using drugs affect you? I'm talking about base kindness and base courtesy. I'm talking about the lack of any person to person humility. 99% of the time that I walk towards an elevator, they let it close in my face without holding it. What did I do to them to make them do this? When someone slides across in front of me on the road without indicating to five any notice, is selfish and probably why most accidents occur.
@procan
I realise that you are Canadian but I love living in both countries. I disagree that Montreal driving is as bad, having spent the better part of the decade driving on Decarie before moving to Dubai. They are bad but not near as dangerous as here. I just wish that people here extended more kindness and courtesy to one another. Even in Montreal, if you want to get into a lane, the other motorist doesnt jam up the space so you can't get in, like they are losing. You can't compare.

I thought the article was on human rights not citizenship, so we are going a bit off topic arent we?

However, now correct me if I'm wrong, but when we were all invited to work in this land, no-one ever mentioned the prospect of citizenship, nor should we expect something that was not even in the negotitions.

We are paid a good salary, have healthcare cover, gratuity (pension) and even annual flights home. Now those were the only provisions I was offered and accepted for me to move here many moons ago.

Why should the country of the UAE be expected to make us citizens, purely because a company based in this land has offered us the opportunity to work here? They are two seperate entities.

I did not bother reading the article as the comments section is much more entertaining. I fail to comprehend the uproar over citizenship; if you have a job that pays well and you live in a safe society, what is the issue? No country should be under obligation to have systematic frameworks for naturalization, especially when the demographics of native people are under threat. NO society is perfect (except may be the Nordic countries, which come close to being ideal models) but to me the issues of living in the UAE do not center around not having an Emirati passport. There are other issues like unnecessary aggression on the roads (which you can expect in other parts of the world) that should be addressed and are, in theory easy to rectify.
Eventually, I will leave here to seek life in another part of the world but until then, I have good memories, including having my kids here, nights out with friends, safety and meeting people from all over the world.
I am from Pakistan.